In 1948, Matt Kania stopped at the BALSA BUSTERS field at Featherbed Lane in Woodlawn Maryland. He was touring the east selling the FLYING CIRCUS" kits out of the trunk of his car. He sold at least a dozen kits that day. I have a picture that "Pop" took of me (age 11 or 12) holding a finished model. The only discernable difference between the CIRCUS and the CLOWN, as I remember, was that the CIRCUS had full solid Balsa wing tips. We powered ours with a Torp .29 that was converted from ignition. Elmer Gaither, my father's buddy used a MADEWELL .49 in his! No mistake, here. Elmer used a .49 in ALL his planes. Size didn't matter.
I have the original kit plan that is in really bad shape. These early U/C planes of this order, mushed around the sky and landed like a rock when the engine kit. The WIZZER, TRAINEE, ZING, NIFFTY, etc. were all solid models available back then, originally for ignition and were hardly airworthy. BOB PALMER, Joe Wagner and a few others were a real treat, well received. These light, thick airfoiled plans changed things drastically for Stunt. At the 1950 NATIONALS at NAS Grand Prairie TX, I watched George fly a Palmer Chief with a Fox .35; he took 3rd in Senior Stunt.
I seldom get on any forum but thought I might add a few comments to this one time.
Sunshine makes me happy.
Regards, Joe Peters AMA269